The linings are 3/16 X 1-1/2 I bought some 2" wide stuff at the CarQuest motor parts in town here. The total for the two lengths was $50 PLUS the rivets! Depending on the material, Id now buy the correct kit. I had to waste 1/2" on the width. Was easy enough to cut with a sabre saw. The stuff I took off was disintegrated cotton junk on one side and a piece of leather belt on the other. YIKES! The new stuff grabs like heck, but I did hafta grind 1/32 off the shoe cam contact... too tight! Theres an ever so slight drag right now and after a few blocks should wear right in. ws

another question on 26/27 rear brake linings. Has any one used modern brake lining material? I have my 27 coupe set up with the equalizer so that the primary braking is done at the rear wheels not on the trans. drum. would there be any advantage/disadvantage or danger to relining with the modern material?

Keep in mind that modern lining is designed to be used with pressure far exceeding what you are applying with your mechanical brakes. I have a friend that had that done and the brakes do not stop anywhere near what the correct type lining do.

R.D. Ricks needs to chime in on this thread. He once told me that he had a new type of lining that was bonded or glued to 26-27 brake shoes and they didn't wear as much as other things that he had tried and stopped better, too.

The modern composite brake lining is designed to work by converting the energy of the cars forward motion into heat which is accomplished by the friction of the lining on the cast brake drum. The rear brake of the T was designed as a stationary parking brake, essentially preventing the pressed steel drum from rotating (no conversion of energy). This brings up 2 questions;1)will the linings provide enough friction to generate the required heat? 2)Will the pressed brake drums stand up to the friction and heat ?

OK, a bit of heresy here. If you want to use the rear wheel brakes on a large drum axle as service brakes, you could use a set of drums with cast braking surface rather than the original pressed steel drums. For wire wheels, the mid 50's Mercury drums are 11" and have the same bolt pattern. For wood wheel hubs, you may need to redrill some drums. I did that with some late 20's vintage Chevy drums.

I have not completed the conversion yet (other projects) but the drums don't look too out of place unless you are a T guy looking for things that are wrong.

Robert C, (Bob)'s second question is a good one. The Kinetic energy of the car's motion has to be converted into heat, and the pressed drums don't have much thermal capacity (weight). More worryingly, they are in intimate contact with wooden spokes. Also, I met a Model A expert who always fitted steel or iron rings shrunk around the outside of his Model A drums because when they got hot, they expanded and the pedal went to the floor. I guess this could happen with T drums. The handbrake of my '26 is very effective - it will lock the wheels if required without difficulty. I'm just worried about repeated or prolonged usage.

Somerset CB... thats my intention of use as well. As usual, this has turned into a class on quantum physics. All I need is a parking brake, and God forbid, barring a brake band, reverse band, u-joint or differential failure, one controlled stop before the tow truck arrives. As a kid, we had a 26 "Rat Find" touring car at our cottage. It had ONE wore out shoe and no rod on the other side. While visiting some friends house on a tall hill, me, the kid, hopped in the car and grabbed the wheel. She started rolling backwards down the hill. A half mile down was the lake. I learned two things that day as a 5 year old. The brake pedal is on the right, and how to park a model T with lousy parking brakes on a hill. I use that technique to this day. ws

The brake lining has a friction surface against the shoe as well as one against the drum. The rivets really just have to add a little extra. The split rivets will work just fine. Mine have for the last 8 years.

One old brakeman's rule. Brass rivets only. Brass plated steel rivets won't do. Even plated, the steel rivets rust, providing an abrasive which embeds in the lining and grinds a groove around the drum. Not always. But a bad thing when they do. Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

I've always used the rear drums for most of the braking in my 26 tourer without any ill effect from the "incorrect" kind of drums. And I drive fast and stop quick, plus go down lots of hills. The 2nd hand original linings have been in for the last nine years and look like they have a long time before wearing out.